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Chelsea will look to make it three wins in succession in the UEFA Champions League when they make the long trip to Baku to face Qarabag.
Enzo Maresca's side bounced back from their opening defeat at Bayern Munich by beating Jose Mourinho's Benfica and hammering Ajax 5-1 at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues got back on track in the Premier League at the weekend with a deserved 1-0 London derby win over Tottenham.
Qarabag have been a surprise package during the early stages of this season's Champions League. A thrilling 3-2 win over Benfica hastened Mourinho's return to Lisbon, before Gurban Gurbanov's men also beat Copenhagen.
A 3-1 defeat to Athletic Club last time out brought them back down to earth, but this Qarabag should prove to be a different proposition to the side Chelsea put 10 goals past over two games in the 2017/18 group stage.
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Chelsea vs. Qarabag: Expected lineup
Jorgensen (GK)
Gusto, Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Hato
Santos, Lavia
Estevao, Buonanotte, Gittens
Delap
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Chelsea lineup updates
Despite Qarabag's impressive start in the Champions League this term, the long distance to travel and relative quality of the opposition means Maresca is likely to shuffle his pack.
Striker Liam Delap and weekend matchwinner Joao Pedro are each available following respective domestic and European suspensions for red cards. When Delap was dismissed during the Carabao Cup win over Wolves, he became the sixth Chelsea player or coaching staff member to be sent off in the space of nine matches.
Moises Caicdeo was magnificent against Spurs and might be given the chance to rest up here, and it could be a similar case for Enzo Fernandez. At centre-back, Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong are in contention for starts.
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Chelsea's injury worries
Below is the latest injury picture for Chelsea, including estimated return dates for those who are sidelined.
Palmer's prowess
- Injury: Groin injury
- Expected return date: December 2025
Maresca was forced to admit his mistake over talisman Palmer's return after he missed out on England duty earlier this month. Initial estimates over his groin problem were increased to "at least six weeks" and he will not come back into the squad until mid-December.
Benoit Badiashiile's career
- Injury: Muscle injury
- Expected return date: December 2025
Badiashile's injury woes continued at the start of October after the Frenchman was forced off in the win over Liverpool with another muscle strain. Maresca confirmed he will not be back in contention until December as the 24-year-old battles to prove his durability to remain part of Chelsea's long-term plans.
Dario Essugo plays
- Injury: Thigh injury
- Expected return date: December 2025
Essugo arrived at Chelsea carrying a thigh injury following his loan return to Sporting CP from Las Palmas.
While there has been little confirmed reporting on his return, there has been recent speculation that he might be out until December or even into early 2026.
Levi Colwill debutó
- Injury: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
- Expected return date: June 2026
Colwill suffered an ACL tear in preseason and will miss the full campaign. The England international is still in the early stages of his rehabilitation.
Mudryk strikes
- Suspension: Doping
- Expected return date: Unknown
Ukraine international Mudryk has not been available for selection since December 2024 after failing a doping test.
Qarabag v Chelsea match info
- Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
- Kickoff time: 9:45 p.m. Local / 12:45 p.m. ET / 9:45 a.m. PT / 3:45 a.m. AEDT (Nov. 6)
- Location: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium
- Competition: Champions League, league phase matchweek 4
- Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)
- VAR: Manuel Schuettengruber (Austria)
Chelsea FC news & links
- Enzo Maresca reveals when injured Chelsea star will return to action
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